The Parts of a Dart
Darts are the main part of the game of “Darts” and so it can be helpful to understand how a dart comes together. Some will argue that the parts of a dart are made up of three separate parts while others say they are made up of four parts. In this article, I will go other the idea that there are four parts to a dart.
Point
This is the missing one in the three-piece argument. Many consider the point as part of the barrel. However, as in recent years changing your point has become more prominent. I am inclined to treat it as its own separate entity. The point’s aim is simple it penetrates the bristle and ensures the dart sticks in the board. However, things such as the length of the point can have an impact on vision, and as such more players are coming to favor a longer point as part of their darts setup.
Barrel
The barrel is perhaps the most important part of the dart – the bit you grip. Barrels come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, each of which will have minor impacts on the performance of the arrows. In general, the big contributor to how the dart performs is the weight of the barrel. It is important that this is not too heavy, or the dart will fall. On the other hand, it’s also shouldn’t be too light as the dart will loop and go far too high.
Stem
The stem, sometimes called the shaft, is the part of the dart that holds the flight in place. While this seems like a simple task it is quite difficult for the piece to do this. Some players do play around with this piece of the dart. A shorter stem allows the dart to travel quicker through the air and for some players this makes them more accurate. Its other important role is in making sure that the flight does not come loose. Without the flight, the dart will lose balance due to nothing catching the aerodynamic pressure and the dart will bounce out the board.
Flight
The flight is one of the most essential parts of the setup to get correct. Choosing wrong here can have devastating impacts on your game. Most people will need to experiment with flights during their time playing the game. Different flights have higher and lower surface areas. Therefore, it is important that this is chosen correctly as it will change how fast the dart flies through the air. A dart that flies faster will have less time to adjust but will need to be thrown more accurately. However, a dart that is thrown slower will need to be accurately thrown as well. Hoping the angles align when it comes to landing on the board is the main reason a lot of people who throw standard-shaped flights have their darts stick up in the board. This is beneficial as it leaves a lot of room to see the rest of the treble bed.
Parts of the Dart – Final Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, it’s great to be aware of the various parts that make up a dart and their purpose. Any beginner should learn these parts if they plan on taking the game seriously. I also want to encourage you to experiment. Everyone is different, and experimenting with different parts might help you up your game.
